The Town of Scorpia
by flipomatic
Summary: "Erika was one of the kids who lived at the local orphanage. You actually look a lot like her, from a distance. A really far distance. But she ran away three months ago for no clear reason, and the Major has been searching for her ever since. It's kind of been an obsession for him." Rated T for slight language. Slight EdWin and Royai, if you squint. Pre-manga.
1. Chapter 1

Author Note: So I participated in NaNoWriMo this year, though I was not a winner. But I did write a huge portion of this story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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As Ed hopped off the train, he cast his golden eyes around the station with a hint of speculation. "Are you sure this is the right place Al?" He questioned the suit of armor behind him casually. The suit of armor, his younger brother Alphonse, stared intently at a map of the south-west region.

"It is, brother." He gestured at a sign on the wall of the station with one hand, "the city of Scorpia, as scheduled." His armor clanged loudly with every step on the wood paneled floors, echoing loudly on the curved ceilings and drawing a few stares as they moved toward the entrance of the station. Al, being used to the extra eyes following him, ignored it. Ed, on the other hand, glared boldly at the nearest perpetrators, a group of four teenage girls. They looked away from his gaze quickly and giggled loudly. Ed scowled and Al chuckled lightly; his brother always did have a short temper.

After weaving through a few long hallways and escaping a security guard who got a bit frisky with a metal detector, the boys finally made it out into the open air. The afternoon sun blinded Ed for a few moments as his eyes adjusted, and a breeze rustled his long blonde braid. The sun, while blinding, also warmed his face after spending hours on a train.

While Ed got his bearings, Al looked around to see what street corner they were on. The city consisted mostly of two story buildings with narrow alleys between them. Most of these buildings had stores or restaurants on the first floor with flats for living in on the second.

The boys were at the corner of 1st and 6th street, and Al consulted another map to figure out where in the city they were. The wind nearly stole the map out of his grasp, but he managed to hold onto it. The streets in the city were all named after numbers with even numbers running north to south and odd numbers running east to west. Their destination was supposed to be on the corner of 3rd and 8th street, about a mile away from the train station.

"It's that way brother." Al pointed up 6th street and Ed nodded, falling into step with Al as they strolled down the road.

"What are we going to say when we get there?" Al questioned Ed quietly, wanting to be on the same page as his brother when they arrived.

Ed responded with quite a bit more volume. "You should become a State Alchemist! That's what we will say. And if the bastard Lieutenant Colonel has anything bad to say about that then he can answer to me." Ed shook his automail fist in the air as if imagining hitting something with it, something like the Lieutenant Colonel's head. As the brothers turned onto 3rd street, Al shook his head and frowned at his brother.

"I'm sure he would have fewer complaints if you weren't so rude to him." Al smiled inwardly as Ed turned red and spluttered, waving his arms around and being unable to form a complete sentence for a few moments.

"Wh-wh-what are you talking about?" Ed scowled, "Maybe he should just be nicer to me! He's the adult in this, he should act like one." He nodded firmly and smirked, the red fading from his expression.

"You're already 14 brother, maybe it is time to grow up a little." Al shrugged, "you could even start drinking milk to prove your maturity."

"Milk is gross and nasty." Ed's scowl returned and he scuffed his shoe on the sidewalk. "Anyway, that has nothing to do with maturity." He came to a halt suddenly, looking around the intersection in front of him. "Doesn't this look like that drawing the Lieutenant Colonel gave to us?"

Al nodded, "Oh yeah!" He pulled the drawing out of his loincloth and unfolded it, comparing it to their location. "Alright!" he grinned, "this is the right place. According to the map, we need the house over there." He pointed at one of the buildings on the opposite side of the intersection. It stood at the same height as the other buildings around it, but had a rather run down feel to it. There was no business on the first floor and the purple paint on the siding was fading. One of the windows on the second story was broken with spider web cracks spreading through it. The front door was boarded up, so Ed and Al went through one of its' alleyways until they found a door to the upstairs portion of the building. The door had a few holes in it, which didn't stop Ed from knocking on it loudly.

After a few moments of tense silence, he turned to Al, "Maybe nobody's home." He took a step away and was about to gesture for Al to follow when he heard the sound of hinges creaking. Ed spun around and lifted his arms defensively as the door moved open a few inches. A dark shadow cast out of the opening, leaving a dark stain on the ground.

"What do you want?" A young female voice asked aggressively. Ed stepped towards the door, keeping his hands up and fists clenched just in case.

"We are looking for a local plant alchemist; do you know anybody like that?" He smiled slightly, trying to seem innocent and friendly. This tactic failed; the person behind the door closed it down to an inch.

The voice in the door contemplated it for a moment. "Why do you want to find them?" They sounded suspicious.

"We come on behalf of Lieutenant Colonel Mustang to recruit this plant alchemist for the State Alchemist program. Any information you can give us would be…" he was cut off by the door slamming shut with a loud click. "Oy!" he shouted, "Don't close your door on me!" He reached out to pound on the door, but Al grabbed his arm.

"Quit it brother," Al stated reasonably, pulling Ed away from the threshold, "there must be a reason she doesn't want to talk to us. Maybe she doesn't like the military."

"Yeah, yeah." Ed grumbled, yanking his arm out of Al's grasp and rubbing it angrily. They exited the alleyway as Ed looked up at the sky in surprise. The sun was already setting and a chill had settled on the street. "It is getting kind of late." He started walking down 8th street with Al following closely behind. "We should find somewhere to stay."

"Alright, how about that bed and breakfast over there?" Al pointed across the street at a place called B Squared Inn. Ed agreed and the boys walked over to the inn. The style matched the rest of the city, though the shutters were painted blue in contrast to the brick walls. It was the closest place to stay, so they went in. The lobby was cozy with a small fireplace burning in the corner and some tables and chairs around it. The only person in the lobby was an upper aged woman who had her shoulder length hair pulled back into a neat bun. A plaque on the table identified her as A. Sanders, owner. She stood behind the counter and Ed approached her slowly.

"Hello," she said with a monotonous voice, "How can I help you?"

"We need a room for two please." Ed said politely, trying to exert his newfound maturity.

"That'll be 6 thousand cens for one night, 10 thousand for two, 15 thousand for three, etcetera." Sanders looked Ed straight in the eye as she said this, as if challenging him not to be able to pay these rates.

"We just need one night for now." Ed met her challenge and placed the 6 thousand cens on the counter.

"Very well." She took the cens off the table and replaced them with two room keys. "Your room is 204, have a nice evening."

Ed scoffed and snatched up the keys, all signs of maturity forgotten. "Thank you very much ma'am" Al bowed slightly at her before following his moody brother. They worked their way up the stairs and through the building until they got to room 204. It had two twin beds, a window with grey blinds, and, much to their surprise, a phone on a nightstand.

"I've never seen a phone in a hotel room before." Al stared at it in wonder, curious about how the wiring worked for it. "You know, we should call the Lieutenant Colonel with it. He did say he wanted to hear from us."

Ed gagged and frowned at Al. "We don't need to call him. He doesn't really care about this mission anyway."

"But I bet 2nd Lieutenant Hawkeye does." Al grinned, poking Ed in the side, "and I also bet she wants to hear from us."

"Fine," Ed rolled his eyes, shoving Al's probing finger away. "I'll call tomorrow morning. But only for the 2nd Lieutenant. I don't care what that damn Lieutenant Colonel thinks." Ed plopped down on one of the beds, kicking his shoes off. He lied back on the bed with both hands behind his head, relaxing into a comfortable position. Al sat down on the other bed, smiling warmly at his older brother.

"Goodnight brother."

"Goodnight Al."

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End Note: First chapter done. Hopefully by the time I post all of the chapters I wrote in November I will have written a few more.

Review Please


	2. Chapter 2

Author Note: So the first chapter was not a huge success, but I won't give up on this story. Thank you Baxter54132 for reviewing.

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As Roy Mustang wrote his signature on yet another sheet of paper, he glanced around at his subordinates. Sergeant Fuery was tinkering with an old radio, pushing his glasses up his face every few minutes. Sergeant Major Falman was actually doing his job and working efficiently. Warrant Officer Breda was eating a sandwich, despite it only being ten in the morning. Warrant Officer Havoc was gnawing on an unlit cigarette to avoid the wrath of the officer truly in charge of this office. 2nd Lieutenant Hawkeye was watching Roy right back, and he immediately averted his gaze from her inquisitive stare. She stood up abruptly, startling Havoc into dropping his cigarette on the floor.

"Lieutenant Colonel," she addressed the highest ranking person in the room. "We need to go get the rest of today's paperwork." Roy's face paled slightly as he fought the urge to light something on fire, but he nodded obediently and exited through the office door when Riza held it open for him. As she was leaving, she paused and turned to the soldiers in the room. "You better not misbehave while we are gone." They all nodded vigorously as she closed the door, only relaxing once it was fully shut.

"Sometimes I worry that my spine will never be straight enough." Havoc complained loudly, lighting his cigarette and taking a few puffs.

"I think she's more worried about your hands than your spine," Breda joked, finishing his sandwich in a couple more bites. "About how slow they move and the fact that you don't fill out paperwork with them."

"She just needs to loosen up sometimes." Havoc speculated, "I don't even think she dates. I would ask her out, but she would shoot me. It's not worth the risk." He shuddered and leaned back in his chair, kicking his feet up on the desk. "But I bet she wouldn't kill the Lieutenant Colonel."

"Even if she didn't kill him, there is no way she would agree to go out with him." Breda chuckled, balling his sandwich wrapper up and throwing it into a trash bin across the room. "Ten points. Anyway, the Lieutenant Colonel goes out with so many different girls all the time, and the 2nd Lieutenant I know would never give that womanizer a second glance."

"Wanna bet on it?" Havoc smirked, pulling out his wallet. "1000 cens that the 2nd Lieutenant agrees to go on a date with the Lieutenant Colonel."

"You're on." Breda smacks his 1000 cens onto his desk. "Falman, Fuery, do either of you want in?"

"N-no thanks." Fuery stutters, shaking his head profusely, "we probably shouldn't mess with them." He ducked his head, burying himself back into the radio.

"I agree," Falman interjected, "It is none of our business what they do outside of work."

"Spoilsports." Havoc chuckled, standing up to grab Breda's half of the pool money. "I'll put this into my desk until we have our answer." Just as he pushed the drawer closed, the phone on the Lieutenant Colonels desk started to ring. All of the men stared at it in silence as it rang the first two times. Fuery was the first to move.

"Noes goes." He muttered, placing one finger on his nose. Falman and Breda were the next two to follow suit, leaving Havoc to answer the phone. He let it ring one more time, glaring at his fellow soldiers, before gulping and picking up the phone.

"Warrant Officer Havoc of Lieutenant Colonel's office speaking." He said clearly, trying not to stutter.

"What!" and indignant voice replied to him, "I took time to call him and that damn Lieutenant Colonel isn't even there!"

Havoc pulled the phone away from his face a few inches to save his eardrums, "He should be back in a few minutes boss. For now though, there is this bet Breda and I just made…" Havoc was cut off by his superior officers' re-entrance to the room. They were both carrying huge stacks of paperwork, which were placed on Hawkeye's desk. She started dividing it into smaller stacks while Mustang liberated his phone from Havoc.

"Lieutenant Colonel Mustang speaking," He stated with imagined authority.

"You gave us some faulty info, you bastard." Ed shouted, causing Roy to flinch away from the phone slightly, mimicking his subordinate. "The only person living at that house was some kid, definitely not a plant alchemist."

"Alright, alright," Roy sat down at his desk, accepting his portion of the paperwork from Riza. "Are you coming back to the East then?"

"Not yet." Ed said with great volume contrast to his previous statements. "There is something fishy about that kid. She wouldn't even let us see her face. Al is such a softie, he wants to see if there is anything we could do to help her." Roy could hear a faint 'Hey!' in the background, probably Alphonse denying his brothers' assertions.

"Are you saying you need backup, Fullmetal?" Roy smirked as Riza glanced over at him, a hint of worry shimmering in her eyes. He shook his head, and she went back to doing her paperwork.

"I don't need your help!" Ed resumed shouting at the phone. "Goodbye, you bastard Lieutenant Colonel!"

"Bye, Fullmetal, make sure you call back in a few days." After hearing a loud click, Roy hung up his phone with a sigh. He really needed to get that kid to stop calling him a bastard; it was really bad for appearances.

"Is something wrong Sir?" Hawkeye asked as he brushed his bangs away from his face.

"You know how those boys are, Always finding trouble." He rubbed the back of his head. "More like making it, actually."

Hawkeye smiled almost imperceptibly, "You can sympathize, can't you sir."

"Hey," Roy grumbled, "I don't cause that much trouble. But their situation is a bit odd. It's not often that the information provided about potential state alchemists is so far from the mark. Sergeant Major Falman!" Roy addressed the solider, who saluted. "I need you to look into this city of Scorpia, but do it quietly."

"Yes Sir."

Under Hawkeye's watchful gaze, Roy picked up his pen to resume signing papers with the familiar feeling of wanting to start a bonfire.

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End Note: My daily dose of Royai.

Review Please!


	3. Chapter 3

Author Note: So here is chapter 3, thanks again Baxter for reviewing.

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Ed slammed the phone down on its cradle, visibly seething at it. "You'll be lucky if I ever call you again!" He stomped his way out of the room. "Let's go Al!"

"Coming!" Al chirped, following his brother with a small smile. The Lieutenant Colonel always managed to push Ed's buttons. They made their way down the stairs and Al waved at the woman behind the counter as they passed; he thought she looked lonely standing by herself all day. She narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't wave back. Al hesitated in his steps, the smile fading from his expression. Then he shook his head and hurried to follow Ed out the door, trying not to let her attitude bother him.

The street was pretty quiet with only a few people walking in either direction. Ed and Al turned back towards the corner of 3rd and 8th street; it would be the best place to start looking around. Already at the corner were three MP's. All three of the men wore blue military uniforms with military police ranking and were between 20 and 25 years old. They looked like they had never seen combat, they didn't even carry guns.

The MP's were looking for something; though from a distance it was unclear precisely what. When one of them noticed Ed and Al walking down the street, he elbowed the other MP's and pointed excitedly.

"Hey kid!" one of them shouted, waving Ed and Al over to them from across the street. "Come here!"

Al looked at Ed to see what he wanted to do, whispering, "Is he talking to us?" Ed just shrugged, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"What's going on?" Ed asked as he approached, wondering if the MP's needed help or something. Al hung back, still unsure of the situation.

"What's your name kid?" The MP's ignored Ed's question. The three of them formed a triangle around the boy and Ed raised his hands defensively. Al was too surprised to interfere.

"Edward Elric."

"Hmm." The MP who seemed to be in charge looked down at a small piece of paper then back at Ed. "He's the kid we're looking for!" He nodded at the other MP's. "Let's take him in." They both grabbed on of Ed's arms, pulling them behind his back.

"Wh-what?!" Ed protested, trying to yank himself free. The MP's, in typical MP fashion, ignored him yet again. Al closed the distance between himself and the MP's, realizing he was too far away to do anything.

"Cuff him and take him to the car." The first one commanded. The other two nodded and obeyed.

"Let me go!" Ed shouted, but it was too late. Once the hand cuffs were on, there was no escaping. Al grabbed the lead MP by the shoulder.

"Why are you arresting him?" He tried not to raise his voice; he didn't want to be arrested as well.

"We have been looking for this kid for a long time." The MP smirked. "He could only run for so long." He frowned up at Al, "You should be more careful of who you hang out with, this kid's a fugitive." He brushed Al's metal hand off his shoulder and followed as his fellow officers forced Ed into a small squad car. He waved farewell to the gathering crowd and climbed into the passenger seat of the car, driving away after a few moments. Al watched in silent shock, unable to process what just occurred. He didn't notice a curtain being drawn in one of the windows of the house he and his brother disturbed the day before.

Ed, on the other hand, was anything but silent. "You can't just arrest me like this!" he growled, "What happened to reasonable suspicion?"

"We do have reasonable suspicion." One of the follower MP's pointed at him. "You match the description of the kid we are looking for." He looked down at his paper, reading from it, "Long blonde braid, golden eyes, short,"

"Who're you calling so short he couldn't even reach the doorknob!" Ed shouted, head-butting the MP in the side.

"Whoa kid, nobody said that." The unfortunate MP rubbed his now bruised ribs, "settle down. Anyway, you're exactly like our description. We've been looking for you for a few months you know. But you couldn't run forever."

"Hmph." Ed scoffed and glared out the window, taking in the blurry sight of the city as it zoomed past. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Military HQ to get you processed, and then back to the orphanage for you." The MP smirked. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay there this time."

"You've got the wrong kid." Ed grumbled without making eye contact. "I've never even been in this town before."

"The Major will be the one to decide that. Now shut up until we get there."

Ed rolled his eyes out the window, making note of each turn the car made. The vehicle only drove for a few more minutes before it screeched to a halt. It stopped in a region of the city much like the one it had just left. When he checked the nearest intersection, Ed noted that it was 10th and 11th streets. The MP's forced him out of the car and guided him into a building labeled 'Police'. The grey walls and tile floors gave the place a dreary feel, and it consisted of only one hallway with 6 rooms attached to it. They put Ed in the room on the end, which contained a table, two chairs, and a lamp. All of the walls in the room glowed an eerie greyish green color, showing worse wall color taste than Ed possessed.

The MP's slammed the door shut behind him, locking it loudly and leaving him with only the lamp for company. He shivered slightly as he waited in one of the chairs; the room was oddly chilly.

After a few minutes, the door slammed back open. "We finally caught you…" A deep voice boomed then trailed off as an older man appeared in the doorway. His shoulder markings were that of a major. He stood at nearly six feet tall and rubbed his short salt and pepper hair in irritation. "Fredrik!" He shouted back into the hallway. "What is the meaning of this?"

Ed could hear the lead MP respond. "We caught the kid you were looking for, Sir." His voice shook slightly, clearly afraid of the man in front of him.

"Erika is a girl, you nimrod. Does this child look female to you?" The major dragged the MP into the doorway, and the nervous man gulped audibly.

"N-no Sir."

Ed smirked; revenge, even if handed out by somebody else, was sweet. It served those MP's right; how could they not know the gender of the person they were looking for?

"Dismissed!" The major barked out and the MP scurried away, presumably to change his pants. The major worked his way into the room with a sigh. He lost a few inches as his spine sagged. "Sorry kid, this is all just a misunderstanding." He took a ring of keys off his belt and unlocked Ed's handcuffs. "You are free to go." He walked away from the table as Ed rubbed his wrists.

"One moment." Ed put his hands on the table. "Before I go, do you think you could fill me in about the person I was mistaken for?"

"The information is classified." The major pointed towards the door and then crossed his arms. "Now get out"

"I'm not leaving just yet. I think I have enough clearance to hear it." Ed smirked, flashing his pocket watch. The major's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing.

"I may have some questions of my own, state alchemist." The major pulled the door shut and it creaked for need of oiling. He sat in the chair across from Ed, redirecting the lamp into the teens face. "What are you doing in my city?"

Gold eyes met icy blue, with neither side backing down.

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End Note: Another OC, and some stupid MP's.

Review Please!


	4. Chapter 4

Author Note: I'm sorry this is a day late; I was traveling home from the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl all day yesterday.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, but my OC's are mine.

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If there had been a clock in the room, it would have been ticking loudly, marking each tense second of eye contact. Ed refused to back down; he couldn't lose a challenge to this guy, even if it was just an impromptu staring contest and, despite what Al said earlier, he was not ready to mature just yet. Besides, milk was disgusting.

The major suddenly sighed and stood up, leaving Ed to celebrate his triumph. "I don't have time to deal with this." He muttered as he walked over to the door. "Listen kid, I am going to have my second in command drive you back to wherever they picked you up from. Then I would appreciate it if you would leave my city." He left the room and Ed sat in silence for a few minutes, congratulating himself on his victory. A few moments later a different man entered. While not being as tall as the major, he still towered over Ed.

"I am 2nd Lieutenant Asus." The man saluted. "I have been instructed to drive you to 3rd and 8th street. Let's go." He was out of the room before Ed could utter a single protest, and the boy reluctantly followed him down the hallway. They went outside and climbed into the same car Ed was arrested with. Ed hadn't paid it any attention earlier, but it didn't deserve any. It was a standard military car, but it seemed to be the only one the military in this city owned. The paint on the left side was in the process of peeling away.

"Sorry about all the trouble." 2nd Lieutenant Asus offered sheepishly over the rumble of the engine. "Major Masters has been searching for Erika for nearly three months now. When he heard someone who looked like her had been arrested, he got his hopes up." As the car pulled away, Ed watched Asus thoughtfully. Like many Amestrians, he had blond hair and blue eyes, and seemed to be in his early 30's. Ed figured he might fill him in with what was happening.

"So why does the Major want to find this Erika person anyway?" Ed leaned back in his chair casually with his hands down by his sides.

Asus glanced at the boy carefully before responding, "She was one of the kids who lived at the local orphanage. You actually look a lot like her, from a distance. A really far distance. But she ran away three months ago, and the Major has been searching for her ever since. It's kind of been an obsession for him." When Ed didn't say anything, Asus continued speaking. "Actually, do you think you could keep an eye out for us? She might be more willing to show herself to other children."

"I guess I could." Ed shrugged. "I'm not a kid, but if I see her, I'll let her know you're looking for her." He flexed the fingers on his metal arm.

"And if you see anything suspicious," 2nd Lieutenant Asus' ears flushed slightly, "please report that too. You seem slightly more competent at deciding what is suspicious than our MP's do."

Ed nodded, and they settled into uncomfortable silence. Ed stared out the window, marveling at the contrast from the early day sun to the late afternoon sun he saw now. The buildings cast shadows onto the car, flashing over it in a repetitive pattern. Asus focused on driving and making the right turns to get Ed back to his intersection.

When they arrived and rolled to a stop, Ed jumped out of the car. "See ya around." He waved as the car pulled away, before tucking his hands in his pockets and looking around the intersection. As expected, Al was gone. Where did he go though?

The list of choices was short, consisting of the train station and the hotel, and Ed decided to try the closest one first. The hotel was about 200 feet away, so it became the most likely option.

The woman behind the counter glared at him as he walked in the door, and he sighed before working his way over to her. She frowned at Ed with clear distaste. He wondered if he should ask about Al, but decided against it.

"My brother and I don't know how long we need to stay," Ed leaned on the counter gingerly, "so how about we open a tab with you, and I'll pay it when we need to leave." He made his best puppy dog eyes at the woman, but her expression did not change. In fact, her frown deepened and her brow furrowed.

She considered it for a moment, "Fine," she said after a long wait, "but only if I can add 2 percent to your bill for the trouble."

"Deal!" Ed grinned. "Thanks a bunch!" He reached over the counter and shook her hand vigorously before running up the stairs to see if Al had made it back to the hotel room. He didn't look back to see the small smile on her face as she recalled being that young at one time. When Ed opened the door to the room, Al was sitting on one of the beds.

"Brother!" He exclaimed, practically leaping the few steps towards Ed. He engulfed his older brother in an all-encompassing hug. "You're ok! How did you escape? Why did they arrest you in the first place?"

"One question at a time Al." Ed chuckled, returning Al's hug. "I didn't escape, they let me go. They thought I was some missing kid who ran away from the orphanage. A girl called Erika."

Al covered his mouth in an attempt to stifle his giggles, releasing Ed in the process "They thought you were a girl?"

"Don't laugh!" Ed scowled, plopping down on his bed and kicking his shoes off, "They want us to keep an eye out for her. Though I don't know if I could get back to their HQ even if I tried."

"The military HQ here is on my map." Al pulled it out of his loincloth and waved it in the air. "So we could find it if we have to."

"I guess." Ed leaned back on the bed. "Though their highest ranking officer is a Major, so we might be able to work around them. On a random note, have I ever told you how weird it is that you keep things in your loincloth?" He raised an eyebrow at Al, who would have been bright red if his body was capable of producing the color.

"Well the only other place to put it is inside me, and that's how I lose things." Al insisted defensively, waving his arms in front of his body. "You could hold the map if you want, but do you remember last time you used a map? I do, and it wasn't pretty."

"I thought we agreed never to talk about that!" Ed jumped up out of bed and pointed at Al, but before he could say anything else his stomach interrupted him. It growled loudly, echoing throughout the room. Ed sighed, "We should go get some food."

"Okay."

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End Note: Happy New Year!

Review Please!


	5. Chapter 5

Author Note: Here is chapter five. Thanks Baxter54132 for reviewing last chapter.

Disclaimer: I only own my OC's, and even then I don't have any copyrights.

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A beam of light filtered in through the curtained window, startling Al out of his thoughts. He got up from his spot on the carpet to see if Ed was awake yet. The older boy still slept, and Al wanted to let him sleep for as long as he could. It wasn't often his brother slept so peacefully.

Ed would be hungry when he woke up, so Al decided to go look for some food. There was some paper and a pen on the nightstand, so Al scribbled a quick note to Ed telling him he'd be back soon. He put the note and pen on the table and tiptoed out of the room slowly, trying not to bump anything or make any excess noise. The footsteps of his armor were loud enough without added impacts. He closed the door gingerly behind him, cheering inwardly at his success.

As he exited through the lobby, he nodded at Ms. Sanders like he had the day before. But to his disappointment, she didn't react. Once he was out on the street, Al sighed; why didn't she even nod back? The morning sun warmed his armor, though he couldn't feel it, as he frowned and shook his head. Al tried to put it behind him and started looking around for a café. He didn't see one, so he walked towards the intersection at 3rd and 8th to see if one was there. When he was in front of the alchemists house, he paused. He looked it up and down, wondering if he had time to check it out.

Since Ed was hopefully still sleeping, Al decided he had enough time to walk around the house once. He moved slowly down the alley, passing the door he knocked on a couple days before. As he poked his head around the corner, he quickly pulled it back. There was a person around the back! He pushed his head around the corner silently to get a better look.

In the space between the building and the next, there was a small square of dirt with a few plants and flowers growing it. It had a small fence around it, just tall enough to keep out rabbits. Inside stood a young girl. She had cropped blonde hair and vibrant gold eyes, and a shaft of light hit her as Al stared. On her right shoulder was a tattoo of a horse head. She was watering the plants in what appeared to be her garden. 'She's kind of cute' he thought to himself, before shaking his head vigorously. It bumped the wall with a loud clang, which echoed through the small space loudly. He lurched backwards as the girl looked around with a start. She crouched down among her plants, but relaxed when she didn't hear anything else.

Al froze before stepping out of the alley in reverse. He was extremely careful, and sighed in relief when he escaped. If he had a heart, it would have been pounding. He stumbled farther down the street and stopped to buy some bread and milk in the first store he found. As he walked back towards the hotel he was overly conscious of how loud his footsteps were. After spending so much time already being silent it was a relief to be able to take proper steps again.

He hurried back to the hotel, being careful not to run into any of the few pedestrians out at this hour. He didn't stop to communicate with Sanders and made it back to the room with his bounty intact. He pushed open the door slowly, wondering if Ed had woken while he was gone. He hadn't, and Al smiled warmly at his brother as he deposited the bread and milk on the nightstand. He allowed his armor to make a little noise since he was about to wake up Ed anyway.

"Brother," Al shook Ed's shoulder, "time to get up."

Ed groaned, "Five more minutes…"

"Nope." Al said firmly, "I already gave you an extra hour." He shook Ed's shoulder again. "Get up."

Ed brushed Al's hand away and sat up. "Alright, alright." He yawned and stretched his arms over his head, his back cracking loudly. "You gave me an extra hour? Thanks, I guess."

Al nodded picking up the food from the nightstand, "I even got you some breakfast."

"Thanks Al!" Ed grinned broadly for a moment, but then he saw what drink Al brought him. "Milk Al, really?" He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I hate milk."

'You might have changed your mind," Al prodded him gently, "Just try it, it might even help you grow taller."

"Nope." Ed steeled his jaw stubbornly. "I refuse."

"Oh well," Al shrugged dramatically, his eyes glinting. "I guess I will just have to find a cat to feed it to, won't I." He chuckled evilly as Ed glared at him.

"Don't you dare, we don't need another one of those creatures following us around!" Ed picked up the pint of milk and glared at it. "Damn you." He growled before chugging it in about five seconds. He stuffed the bread in his mouth immediately after. "From now on," he spoke around the bread, "I can get my own breakfast."

"Oh yeah," Al suddenly perked up. "I stopped by that house where the alchemist is supposed to live, and I saw somebody there!"

"Really?" Ed gulped down the last of the bread. "Anybody we know?"

"No, it was a girl about our age. She was behind the house watering some plants." Al's voice softened, "I bet it was the same person who answered the door."

"Probably," Ed stood up, brushing the crumbs off his lap. "Between the missing person and the kid you saw, I'm starting to think that the military in this town has something to do with the alchemist we were sent to find." He pulled on his red coat, gesturing towards the door. "That might be a good place to start today."

"Yeah," Al nodded, following Ed out the door. "I can get us there with the map." He pulled it out as they walked through the lobby, checking it for the street corners. "The military HQ is at 10th and 11th streets," Al said as he exited the bed and breakfast. He pointed down one of the streets, "So we need to go that way."

"Ok." The boys started walking, making pretty good time. "Oh," Ed suddenly remembered something. "What did that girl look like, Al?" he asked, purely for informational reasons, he convinced himself.

"Well," Al thought about it for a moment. "She was probably about my age, and a little bit shorter than you." Ed smirked, and Al continued, "She has blonde hair and gold eyes, like you, but her hair was really short. She was kind of cute..." Al's voice trailed off, and Ed suddenly had an evil look in his eyes, taking on an almost cartoon appearance. His teeth turned jagged and his hair appeared to converge into one antenna on the front of his head.

"You like her, don't you?" His eyes glinted more obviously when Al shied away, shaking his head frantically. Though Ed's sense of triumph was short lived.

"N-n-no I do not!" Al protested vehemently, suddenly feeling cornered. "Wh-what about you and Winry." He lashed out verbally. "You like her, and you've know her for a long time too." He snickered, mentally shoving Ed in the corner he just escaped from.

"I-I do not like that short tempered mechanic!" Ed stuttered frantically, mentally backpedalling. He felt like a deer in headlights and instantly regretted bringing up this topic of conversation. "Let's just forget about it." He scoffed, abruptly changing the subject. "That girl sounds a lot like the kid who's missing, except for the hairstyle." Ed grinned, his eyes glinting in the sunlight. "She could be our first lead."

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End Note: Thanks for reading.

Review Please!


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